Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome in the basic game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game and may also be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video displays and/or audio. Bonus games may additionally award players with “progressive jackpot” awards that are funded, at least in part, by a percentage of coin-in from the gaming machine or a plurality of participating gaming machines. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop gaming machines with new types of bonus games to satisfy the demands of players and operators.
Gaming machines typically include various internal electrical components, which may include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), one or more power supplies, a display, a communication board, a sound system, a printer, combinations thereof, or the like. Because many of these gaming machines remain “on” even when not being played, the internal components produce significant amounts of heat. Thus, many of the internal components require adequate ventilation to prevent damage to the components and/or premature component failure. For example, CPUs typically generate a significant amount of heat and only operate properly within a specified temperature range. Thus, most CPUs require a ventilation system of some type to prevent the CPU from overheating and/or failing.
In many prior art gaming machines, fans are placed within the gaming machine and/or within gaming machine components to improve air circulation within the gaming machine. Typically, the fans move the air within the gaming machine and distribute the air from one internal component to another to cool the internal components through one generally continuous flow path. Often, these gaming machines have only a single inlet vent for pulling air into the gaming machine and/or a single outlet vent for expelling heated air out of the gaming machine. Air entering the gaming machine through the inlet vent increases in temperature as it moves from one internal component to the next. Thus, the internal components that are near the end of the flow path are contacted by generally warm or hot air and are, therefore, only cooled slightly, if at all. Failure to sufficiently cool the internal components of the gaming machine may compromise the operation of the components and/or may cause the components to fail.
Another drawback of air flow re-circulating within the gaming machine is that internal particulates and contaminates may be passed from one internal component to another. The particulates and contaminates may impair the operation of sensitive components of the gaming machine and may even cause shorting or other malfunctions of circuitry.
It would be desirable to provide an improved gaming machine ventilation system that assists in addressing one or more of the above disadvantages.